[13.] AS. win, contention, labour, war; win, wyn, joy, pleasure.
[14.] See the duties of Prince Edward’s Porters, A.D. 1474, in Household Ordinances, p. *30, and of Henry VIII.’s Porters, ibid. p. 239.
[15.] Though Edward IV. had Marshals (Household Ordinances, p. 84, &c.), one of whom made the Surnape when the King was in the Hall (p. 32), or Estate in the Surnape (p. 38), yet there is no separate heading or allowance for them in the Liber Niger. Two yeomen Ushers are mentioned in p. 38, but the two yeomen Ewars, their two Grooms and Page, p. 84, perform (nearly) the duties given above to the Usher and his Grooms.
[15a.] Fires in Hall lasted to Cena Domini, the Thursday before Easter: see [l. 398]. Squires’ allowances of lights ended on Feb. 2, I suppose. These lights, or candle of [l. 839], would be only part of the allowances. The rest would continue all the year. See Household Ordinances & North. Hous. Book. Dr Rock says that the holyn or holly and erbere grene refer to the change on Easter Sunday described in the Liber Festivalis:—“In die paschẽ. Good friends ye shall know well that this day is called in many places God’s Sunday. Know well that it is the manner in every place of worship at this day to do the fire out of the hall; and the black winter brands, and all thing that is foul with smoke shall be done away, and there the fire was, shall be gaily arrayed with fair flowers, and strewed with green rushes all about, showing a great ensample to all Christian people, like as they make clean their houses to the sight of the people, in the same wise ye should cleanse your souls, doing away the foul brenning (burning) sin of lechery; put all these away, and cast out all thy smoke, dusts; and strew in your souls flowers of faith and charity, and thus make your souls able to receive your Lord God at the Feast of Easter.” —Rock’s Church of the Future, v. iii. pt. 2, p. 250. “The holly, being an evergreen, would be more fit for the purpose, and makes less litter, than the boughs of deciduous trees. I know some old folks in Herefordshire who yet follow the custom, and keep the grate filled with flowers and foliage till late in the autumn.” —D. R. On Shere-Thursday, or Cena Domini, Dr Rock quotes from the Liber Festivalis—“First if a man asked why Sherethursday is called so, ye may say that in Holy Church it is called ‘Cena Domini,’ our Lord’s Supper Day; for that day he supped with his disciples openly.... It is also in English called Sherethursday; for in old fathers’ days the people would that day sheer their heads and clip their beards, and poll their heads, and so make them honest against Easter-day.” —Rock, ib., p. 235. [Corrigenda]
[16.] Edward IV.’s Esquiers for the Body, IIII, had ‘for wynter lyverey from All Hallowentide (Nov. 1) tyll Estyr, one percher wax, one candell wax, ij candells Paris, one tallwood and dimidium, and wages in the countyng-house.’ H. Ord. p. 36. So the Bannerettes, IIII, or Bacheler Knights (p. 32), who are kervers and cupberers, take ‘for wynter season, from Allhallowentyde till Estyr, one tortays, one percher, ii candelles wax, ii candelles Paris, ii talwood, ii faggotts,’ and rushes, litter, all the year; which the Esquiers have too. The Percy household allowance of Wax was cciiij score vij lb. dimid. of Wax for th’ expensys of my House for oone hole Yere. Viz. Sysez, Pryketts, Quarions, and Torches after ix d. the lb. by estimacion; p. 12.
[17.] The Liber Niger of Edw. IV. assigns this duty to one of the Gentylmen Usshers. H. Ord. p. 37.
[18.] See the Office of Panetry, H. Ord. p. 70.
[19.] See the Office of Butler of Englond, H. Ord. p. 73.
[20.] See Gentylmen Usshers of Chaumbre, IIII, H. Ord. p. 37. ‘This name ussher is a worde of Frenshe,’ p. 38.
[21.] Compare H. Ord. p. 39. ‘Yeomen of Chambre, IIII, to make beddes, to bere or hold torches, to sette bourdes, to apparayle all chaumbres, and suche other servyce as the chaumberlayn, or usshers of chambre command or assigne.’ Liber Niger Edw. IV. See also H. Ord. p. 40, Office of Warderobe of Beddes, p. 41, Gromes of Chambyr, X; and the elaborate directions for making Henry VII.’s bed, H. Ord. p. 121-2.